Business Events Meets Parliament

Media Release on behalf of the Business Events Council of Australia

Business Events leaders and members of the Business Events Council of Australia last week met with parliamentarians at the Business Events Meets Parliament bipartisan Friends of Tourism luncheon held at Parliament House.

The event was attended by politicians from both sides of politics who engaged with the industry as they pitched the value of business events to Australia and described the competitiveness of the industry.

Mr Trent Zimmerman MP, Chair of the Coalition Friends of Tourism group said, “It was a pleasure to welcome the Business Events Council of Australia to Canberra last week to hear first hand all the exciting work they’re doing in this important space”.

Ms Terri Butler MP, Chair of the Labor Friends of Tourism group said “It was fantastic to be able to help launch the Parliamentary Friends of Tourism Business Events meets Parliament event last Wednesday. It was a great opportunity to meet with and hear from business events organisations from across the country”.

The day commenced with board-level engagement with the Honourable Anthony Albanese MP, Shadow Minister for Tourism, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development, the Honourable Jason Clare MP, Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment, Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, to highlight policy priorities of the industry. The board then met with the Honourable Michael Keenan MP, Minister for Justice to discuss how they can work with government to protect Australia’s greatest asset of safety and security.

The program concluded with a roundtable, including key representatives from Federal Government departments and agencies to introduce the business events industry and develop a mutual understanding of the industry’s alignment with Government. One outcome was an agreement by industry to more effectively share information that can assist the departments in leveraging from future business events.

This roundtable was attended by senior staff from Tourism Australia, Austrade, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science.

Matthew Hingerty, Chair of BECA said, “All in all it was a very successful inaugural event with good attendance from both parties and genuine engagement and sharing of information between Government departments and industry. We look forward to hosting this event annually with the aim of continually raising awareness of the quiet-achiever of the Australian economy, that is business events”.

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For further comment:

Matthew Hingerty, Chairman of the Business Events Council of Australia